Nicolas Guth

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EU-Mexico relations in SPS

• Nicolas Guth
• Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General
  
• International relations

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OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION

• Potential for the bilateral trade
• Legal Framework The Free Trade Agreement
• Experiences
• Future plans and strategies

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POTENTIAL FOR THE BILATERAL TRADE FOR MEXICO

• The European Union a big consumer market,
  highly integrated
• Access to the New Member States and future
  Member States
• Harmonised and transparent import conditions

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POTENTIAL FOR THE BILATERAL TRADE FOR THE EU

• Mexico growing population with an increasing
  income
• Strategic position in NAFTA and in Latin America
• Strong Competence of Federal Ministries

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LEGAL FRAMEWORK THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

• A comprehensive agreement
• Article 20 Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures
• Establishment of a Special SPS Committee
• Privileged intensified relations

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LEGAL FRAMEWORK THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
Objectives of the Special SPS Committee

• a) All SPS trade related issues
• b) Regionalisation
• c) Equivalence
• d) SPS discussions in international fora
• e) higher transparency on rules on import
  conditions and for developing trust and building
  mutual confidence on the working procedures and
  certification schemes carried out by both
  parties SPS authorities

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EXPERIENCES Mexican issues of interest

• Exports of equines and semen of horses
• Exports of specific pathogen free (SPF) eggs
• Exports of bovines (fighting bulls) Recognition
  of disease freedom/regionalisdation of Bluetongue
  and Vesicular Stomatitis
• Exports of Durum wheat to Italy
• Recognition of fruit free areas

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EXPERIENCES Mexican issues of interest -Pending

• Export of pig meat regionalisation of Classical
  Swine Fever (CSF)
• Export of Poultry Meat regionalisation of
  Newcastle disease
• Export of live bivalve molluscs
• Recognition of the BSE status of Mexico

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APPROVAL OF THIRD COUNTRIES FOR EXPORT TO THE EU

• The EU policy is to evaluate whether it can have
  trust in the competent authority of a THIRD
  COUNTRY
• Basic Evaluation Criteria
• Evaluation of the competence (power) of the
  controlling authority in the THIRD COUNTRY

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APPROVAL OF THIRD COUNTRIES FOR EXPORT TO THE EU

• Important Evaluation Criteria
• Veterinary services
• Legal and financial powers
• Animal Health Situation
• Disease notification and control measures
• Active and passive surveillance
• Public Health
• Approval of Establishments
• Hygienic measures HACCP, ante and post mortem
  inspection
• Residue monitoring

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APPROVAL OF THIRD COUNTRIES FOR EXPORT TO THE EU

• Procedure
• Request
• Submission of information, questionnaire
• Evaluation
• Positive audit by the Food and Veterinary office
  (FVO)
• Listing of a THIRD COUNTRY done by voted
  Decisions via the Standing Committee on the Food
  Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH)
• Approval of a THIRD COUNTRY on animal health
  grounds
• Approval of a THIRD COUNTRYS residue monitoring
  plans by animal species
• Approval of a THIRD COUNTRY for a product and
  the first list of establishments
• Application of the Pre-listing procedure for
  establishments by competent authorities of THIRD
  COUNTRIES

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EXPERIENCES EU issues of interest

• Recognition of the EU single market by Mexico
• Direct exports of pig meat products (cured hams)
  from Italy/Spain/France to Mexico
  regionalisation of Classical Swine Fever (CSF),
  African Swine Fever (ASF) and Swine Vesicular
  Disease (SVD)
• Lifting of BSE restrictions (bovine semen)

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EU ISSUES OF INTEREST pending

• Recognition of disease freedom for certain animal
  diseases (Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Classical
  Swine Fever (CSF), Avian Influenza (AI)
• Lifting of further BSE restrictions (bovine
  embryos, other bovine products e.g. meat)
  application of the import conditions for all
  Member States
• Exports of vegetables and fresh fruits

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APPROVAL OF THIRD COUNTRIES FOR EXPORT TO MEXICO

• Procedure
• Request
• Submission of information, questionnaire
• Evaluation
• Inspection of a MEMBER STATE country inspection
  / establishments inspections (inspection fees)
• Listing of a THIRD COUNTRY establishment of the
  import conditions (zootechnic requirements)
• Only inspected establishments are authorised.
• However Mexico also applies the pre-listing
  procedure for dairy products from the EU. In the
  future also foreseen for other products.

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FUTURE PLANS AND STRATEGIES

• Facilitation of recognition and approval
  procedures achievable by building
• up TRUST in each others competent authorities
  through
• Better understanding of each others systems
• Objectivity generic criteria and import
  conditions based on international rules, fair
  evaluation and inspection/audit
• Transparency procedures, publication,
  information exchange
• Reciprocity where applicable
• Timely evaluation and response
• Delivery of results

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MAIN ISSUES FOR THE NEXT FUTURE

• Regionalisation of Classical Swine Fever on
  reciprocal basis
• Regionalisation of Newcastle disease in Mexico
• Training on regionalisation
• Disease free recognition
• Export of live molluscs to the EU
• Low risk products
• BSE
• Reciprocal application of the pre-listing
  procedure
• Phytosanitary issues - EU exports of fresh
  fruits and vegetables to Mexico
• Electronic certification
• New EU food safety legislation information and
  training

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION